The Little Mermaid
by oathk33p3r
Summary: Once upon a time, there was a little mermaid...
1. Chapter 1

o**O**o

**The Little Mermaid**

**written by oathk33p3r**

o**O**o

**Disclaimer:** I do not own The Little Mermaid or Kingdom Hearts.

Inspired by 'hurkydoesntknow'. It's my first parody fanfiction, so please bear with me.

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o ONE o

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**T**he sunlight penetrated through the salty water and pleasantly sprinkled its rays on the sleeping figures below.

They were mythical creatures called "merpeople" and dangerously beautiful. Their upper bodies resembled those of a human and where their legs were supposed to be was the tail of a common fish. Each scale glimmered like jewels and fit into place with the others. One of these fantastic creatures began to open her eyes. The lilac eyes behind the eyelids gleamed despite the fact it was covered with a veil of drowsiness.

The little mermaid stifled a yawn and stretched her arms. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes as she absorbed in the morning rays. Her crimson hair waved like the seaweed around her and reached to her shoulders. A pair of clam shells matching the violet hue of her eyes covered her breasts. With a flick of her sapphire tail, she swam towards another one of her kind and softly shook her shoulders.

"Sister, wake up," she whispered.

"Huh?"

"It's the day of my birth! Come _on_, wake up!" Unable to contain the excitement that filled her chest, she started to shake her sister more violently.

"Okay, okay, I'm awake," The golden-tailed mermaid murmured as she stretched her arms.

She smiled as her russet eyes met those of her youngest sister. She was impatiently swaying her tail and bobbing up and down, causing crowds of bubbles to form around her.

"So, you're sixteen now, Kairi?" She asked as she started to rouse her other five sisters.

"Yup, and you know what that means?" Kairi asked delightedly with a playful look in her eyes.

"What?" Kairi's eldest sister asked, an amused smile still lingering on her lips.

"I get to see the human world," Kairi whispered dramatically.

"No _way,_" The golden-tail mermaid laughed and pinched her sister's cheek.

Kairi pouted and waved her sister's intrusive hand away.

"Hey, stop that, Amber."

Amber chuckled and wrapped an arm around her sister.

"I'm sorry; it's just that I had to deal with this five times already." Amber smiled and softly looked at her sister. She was so _small._

"I know, I know, but it's not my fault I'm the youngest," Kairi said as she pulled away from her sister's embrace.

Kairi impatiently untangled her hair with her fingers and stuffed her mouth with some oyster flesh from last night. She made sure her tail was gleaming and then started to swim towards the castle glowing of turquoise.

"Where are you going?" Amber called after her.

"Dad," Kairi simply said without looking back.

Kairi nodded in acknowledgement towards the castle guards and safely swam past their dangerous spears. The castle was strewn with barnacles and the occasional starfish. The residents of the underwater city wanted to detach them from the walls but her father forbade them to do so. As a kind hearted king, he said the castle was the home for all creatures; mermaids and fish alike.

Kairi smiled as she saw her father asleep on his throne. This was his fifth time already.

"Daddy, wake up, it's sunrise!" the little mermaid grabbed her father's muscular arms and shook it with some difficulty.

The King of the Seven Seas woke up and looked around, confused.

"Where am I, Coral?" he mumbled.

Kairi's face crumbled and the lights from her eyes disappeared instantly. Coral was her mother. She had passed away a few years ago due to a horrible fishing crew. That was probably why the king hated the world above so much.

"Daddy, Mom isn't here anymore," Kairi whispered.

The king opened his eyes to the full extent and shook his graying hair, which neatly settled down again.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Kairi. For a second, I thought your mother was still here," The king plastered a sad smile behind his long beard.

Kairi thought he seemed to shrink in his throne and his wrinkles stood out against his skin more than ever. Frowning, she patted her father's arm.

"Don't worry, you have seven daughters to look after you," Kairi smiled.

The Merman gave a wry smile and chuckled. He sat up on his chair and regained his kinglike posture Kairi liked to see.

"Yes, but oh, where are these daughters of mine 23 hours of the day?" The king said sarcastically.

"Oh, come on. We're not _that_ distant," Kairi laughed.

"So, why did you come?"

"Do I need a reason to say good morning to my dad?" Kairi asked, hurt.

The king gave another warm chuckle and placed his daughter on his lap. Kairi leaned against her father's long beard and started to play with the white strands.

"So, my youngest daughter has come of age today, am I right?" The king asked.

Kairi smiled and nodded childishly.

"And that means you're going to have the privilege to see the outside world."

Kairi gave another nod and looked up at her father's dark, but friendly, eyes. The king leaned closer to his daughter's right ear.

"You have my approval," the king said.

Kairi's eyes widened and looked at her father with a new type of delight. Cora, who was named after her mother, couldn't get her father's approval for two months.

As if this precious moment couldn't be ruined by a loud voice, Kairi whispered, "So I can go right now?"

The king leaned back on his chair and gently pushed his daughter off his lap. He gave a slight nod, which was followed by a smile.

Squealing, Kairi wrapped her arms around her father's thick neck.

"Thank you _so_much! You won't regret this!" Kairi grinned ear to ear and quickly started to pump her tail towards the brighter surface.

It was so close, she was almost there, and _splash_; she broke through the ceiling of her home for the first time in her life. Her hair instantly fell and clung to the sides of her face. The wind felt strange and new to her and she curiously observed the strange creatures swimming through the sky above her head. Her eyes, not accustomed to the brighter part of the sun, squinted as she tried to look at the horizon.

It felt _wonderful_ to be able to breathe air. It was light, warm, and yet, filling. Smiling, she dove under water and tried out her first jump. Delighted, she repeated this action again and again. Giggling, Kairi floated on her back, looking up at the clouds leisurely passing by.

"I feel so _light_," She said to no one particular.

_Clunk._

Kairi shrieked with surprise as something bumped against her skull and dove into the water. Cautiously, she surfaced again and stared at what hit her.

It was a plank of large driftwood. But it wasn't the wood that shocked her, but the thing on it.

It was a human. Timidly, Kairi swam towards the figure. She let a gasp slip through her lips as she took in its beautiful features. It had chocolate-brown spikes that were drooping with the weight from the water and its skin was like silk. But the thing she was most amazed of was its legs. Where a tail should've been, there were two long, sinewy legs. Two _beautiful_ legs that could help them_walk._

Kairi forced herself to tear her eyes away from the lower body part and looked at the face again. She was able to see its chest rising and falling, breathing. Her eyes were glued to the human's face and she couldn't help but wanting to see the orbs behind those long eyelashes. Kairi flinched as she saw the face expression change; a sign of waking up. Glancing around, Kairi instantly found dry land and started to pull the plank of wood towards it.

The human, which Kairi knew for sure was a male, wasn't heavy, but it was still rather difficult to push it along the water. By the time the little mermaid was near the beach, the waves made the work a lot easier. Panting, Kairi hoisted herself to the sand and desperately dragged the human onto shore.

She had just saved a human; and it was real.

The human started to cough and gag as the water forced its way out of his lungs. He let out a slight moan and slowly peeled his eyes open.

But before she was able to see them and before he was able to see her, she was gone.


	2. Chapter 2

o**O**o

**The L i t t l e Mermaid **

written by oathk33p3r

o**O**o

**Disclaimer:** No, I do not own The Little Mermaid or Kingdom Hearts. Note that I made a typo on the first chapter…I put nor instead of or. But, being the lazy butt I am, I don't think I'll get the chance to fix it, so I made this one sentence disclaimer to three.

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o TWO o

* * *

"**K**airi, aren't you going to eat?" Amber asked through the seaweed she was chewing.

The seven sisters were all seated at the long table of the castle with seaweed dumped onto their shells, which they used as plates.

The youngest of the seven had her head thrust to the surface with a far away look on her face. Six pairs of eyes stared at her, each chewing on their share of food.

Kairi, not aware of her sisters' stares, let out a sigh. Only a mere trail of bubbles left her lips and floated to the surface to turn into sea foam. They seemed to be laughing at her chanting "I can go to the surface but you can't". Annoyed, the little mermaid brought her fist down to the table and startled her sisters. She couldn't even _sigh_ properly under water.

The six of them immediately started to concentrate on their food as Kairi turned to them.

Letting out another bothersome sigh, Kairi looked down at her untouched seaweed. That was all she ever had here at the bottom of the sea and she was sick of it. But at the surface she heard they had marvelous food. Warm food. This amazed her.

A school of fish swam by Kairi's nose as she stared at nothing in particular. A rather large grey one showed off its scales as it wiggled past her.

They were so shiny…

A goofy smile wormed its way to her lips as she closed her eyes. The human…he was shiny, wasn't he? Yes, he definitely was. His skin gleamed in the sunlight. She remembered his rosy lips. They were so fine and thin. Only if she was able to kiss them…

"Kairi!"

The little mermaid snapped her eyes open to find a pair of unblinking, wet ones looking back into hers.

She let out a little scream and let the fish slip out of her hands.

"I think Kairi's in lo-ove," Cora teased as she leaned on her elbow and smiled at her.

"Really? Who is it? Oh my, don't tell me it's _Riku_?" Corina asked with bright blue eyes.

Utterly speechless, Kairi gave her sister an "are you kidding?" look.

"Oh, my gosh, it _is_," Corina said when she didn't get a reply.

Riku was her father's seahorse caretaker. He was a nice guy and rather good looking, but he was not the one for Kairi. She had once said she liked his eyes and her sister never left her alone after that.

"I'm gonna go," Kairi finally said.

She shook her head and rolled her eyes as the teasing from her sisters followed her.

The little mermaid made her way to her grotto. It was the only place in the whole sea where she felt safe and belonged. She made her way to the large stone in the middle of it and lied down, her tail waving in the water.

Her sisters' giggles still rang in her ears. But she would've been laughed at if she told them she was in love with a _human_. It would be like telling them she fell in love with a fish. Plus, she didn't know the human's name either. For the past week she called him Human when she was talking to herself.

Frustrated, Kairi rolled onto her back and looked up at the small hole in her grotto. It was only a bright, white light, but she knew it was the sky she was seeing.

The sky.

Kairi gasped in surprise as a shadow blocked her view.

It was Riku.

She quickly sat up and stared at Riku's aquamarine eyes. His bare chest gleamed, but it wasn't the same kind of innocent shine Kairi saw on the human. His skin looked cold and tough.

"Hey Kairi," he said suavely.

"Um, hi," Kairi said uneasily.

Riku chuckled and looked around her grotto.

"So, this is where you sleep."

Kairi squealed as he pushed her against the cool walls of her underwater cave.

"Mind if I sleep here too?"

Frightened, Kairi looked up at Riku. She was no match for his strong arms and both of them were blocking her way.

He leaned closer to her and stroked her auburn hair. His fingers were smooth despite the fact that he handled giant seahorses. She wished they were cracked and rough.

"So soft," he whispered into her ear.

Riku didn't even bother covering the lust in his eyes. Disgusted, Kairi turned away and forced her eyes to shut.

"I knew you wanted me," he continued.

A chill went up Kairi's back as Riku ran a hand through it. He was reaching for the strings of the clams that covered her breast.

Angry and scared, Kairi kicked her tail and jammed it into Riku's. She opened her eyes to see Riku a good three feet away from her, unconscious. Her arms may have been week, but all the swimming she had helped build muscle in her tail.

Kairi swam out of the grotto to see her sisters with a look of surprise and disappointment in their faces. Tears squeezed through Kairi's eyes and joined the seawater. Her own dear sisters were behind this.

"How can you guys do this to me?" Kairi cried.

Not wanting to hear their useless excuses, she swam away. She didn't know where she was going, but she _had_ to get away-away as far as possible. Somewhere they can never reach her would've been good…somewhere like the surface…

Kairi slowed down and came to a stop. She looked up at the surface of the sea, the lights dancing as if welcoming her. She smiled.

The human. She would go to the surface and find the human.

And she knew _exactly_ who to go to for help. She was what people like her called a sea witch. She had heard from two elderly mermaids that the sea witch lived in an abandoned octopus's nest near the shore. Kairi's already been there once and she was sure that she can go there again.

A surge of pride and hope filled her insides as she swam towards the surface; it was the easiest way to see the shore.

o**O**o


	3. Chapter 3

o**O**o

**The L i t t l e Mermaid  
****  
****written by oathk33p3r**

o**O**o

**Disclaimer:** I own neither _The Little Mermaid _nor _Kingdom Hearts._ However, there will be several moments in this parody that are completely original.

In the first chapter, I said this will end with a tragedy. However, that will depend on how the story keeps going. Also, I'm really sorry for not updating! I'm terrible at motivating myself. Sorry if this chapter seems rather chopped, rushed and short. Thank you to those who kept reading and supporting me.

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o THREE o

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**I**t was past sunset, Kairi was sure of that. The dancing lights above her head had turned into waltzing, dark swirls. She never swam this close to the surface after sunset before.

The moon. Yes, that was the source of these waltzing swirls that moved with the small ripples and waves of the water. After a few more flicks of her tail, she interrupted the moonlight's dance as she broke through the surface of the ocean. After scanning her surroundings a few times, she found a crumbled structure looming in the distance. Good, the nest must be near…

Kairi immediately knew when she had entered the witch's lair. Years and years of million ingredients and fumes from the witch's potions had stained the water. Without warning, the water had turned from a tolerable, cool temperature to freezing. It was as if icy snakes were slithering against her bare skin. She was able to feel every one of her pores burn as the mix of ancient potions diffused in and out of her flesh.

The pain and stench was so unbearable that she even considered turning back, but before she knew it, Kairi was inside the witch's nest. To her surprise, it was much warmer, and the invisible snakes and stinging chemicals were gone. It was almost as if she was inside a bubble that protected her and everything in it from the toxic environment.

After rounding one last corner, Kairi was face to face with the sea witch.

She was beautiful.

There had been rumors that the witch was thousands of years old and that she had three tails instead of one. But the woman in front of her looked not much older than her and had the fairest skin she had ever seen on a mermaid. Blond, nearly white strands of hair floated around her angelic face and covered her bare breasts. Her tail was long and shimmered like flakes of gold dust in the night light. But her voice sounded like broken shells scraping across rock and hinted that a fragile, old woman was hiding behind that smooth skin.

"Why, a visitor. And not just a visitor—it's one of the seven princesses," the sea witch rasped.

She threw the last bit of fish skeleton into an empty giant clam before heading over towards Kairi.

"Why have you come?" she asked.

Kairi lifted her chin a bit higher and pushed her shoulder slightly back. After gulping in one last ounce of confidence, she answered.

"I want to become human."

The sea witch arched a brow. Her sky-like eyes twinkled with amusement.

"A human? Princess, I've been granting wishes of countless merpeople for nearly three thousand years, and I've never come across a little mermaid like yourself demanding for something as extraordinary as this. I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I don't want to do this for you."

Kairi's face fell as the witch turned her back on her and returned to her clam cauldron. She instantly swam after her and reached for the witch's youthful hand.

"Oh, good witch. Please try to change your mind! I _must _become human!" Kairi cried. "You see, I have fallen in love with a human, and I'm willing to do absolutely anything to be by his side," she confessed.

"In love with a human?" the witch repeated.

"Yes," Kairi replied, looking defiant.

The witch fingered the edge of her cauldron and thoughtfully looked into the bubbling, crimson material.

"How far are you willing to go?" she asked slowly.

"As far as I can."

The witch gave a slight smile and glanced at Kairi.

"Well, the princess is aware that I look forward to compensations, am I right? I'm expecting something very valuable that can compare to this sort of wish."

The little mermaid's confidence faltered for a moment.

"But ma'am, all I have is my soul and my tail…"

Sounds of drowning of seagulls echoed throughout the abandoned octopus's nest as the witch bent over and laughed.

"Oh, you have much more than that, Princess. In fact, you have exactly what I want right now."

Kairi's eyes widened in surprise.

"What can it possibly be?"

"You're using it right now," the witch rasped.

Kairi blinked, confused. And then she slowly wrapped her fingers around her neck.

"I don't suppose you're referring to my _voice?"_

"That's precisely what I'm referring to."

"But—"

"Look princess. I'm powerful. I've turned fish into gold, sea stars into mermaids. But never have I tested my magic beyond the surface of this water world. Your request comes with a high price, and it is up to you if you want to take it or not."

Suddenly, Kairi narrowed her eyes.

"How exactly do you remain so beautiful and young?"

The witch smiled and revealed a row of pearly white set of teeth.

"Little mermaids like you always have something worthy to take," she merely said. "So do you wish to trade?"

Kairi wondered how many other mermaids like herself have lost a part of them for something greater. She wondered whose blue eyes the witch was looking through, whose fair skin she was covering herself with, whose hair was floating around the beautiful face.

But those mermaids must have thought their sacrifices were worth it, and turning into a human was definitely worth the sacrifice.

"Yes," Kairi finally answered.

The witch silently took out an empty, glass vile and dipped it into the now-blue liquid steaming in the cauldron. She closed the top with a cork and held the vile in front of Kairi's eyes to see.

"this potion will turn your tail into legs, gills into lungs, and let you walk on land. However, there is a certain condition: it expires in three days. Once those three days are up, you will return to the sea not as a mermaid, but as sea foam."

Kairi gasped.

"But how—"

The witch shushed her by lightly touching her lips.

"However, if the human you are indeed in love with returns those same feelings to you, I will return your voice and you will remain a human forever."

"_That must mean all those mermaids did not return…_" Kairi thought as she looked at the witch's delicate, youthful features.

"I accept your compromise, ma'am," Kairi said firmly.

The witch placed the vile on Kairi's outstretched palm.

"I want you to closer your eyes, Princess," she then said. "and sing."

Kairi's heart thumped slightly faster as she shut her eyes. She hummed her mother's lullaby, trying not to think that this might be the last time she would be able to sing it."

The witch placed her hands on either side of Kairi's face and pressed her lips against Kairi's.

And she sucked out every word, every sound, every song Kairi had ever made in her lifetime.

"You really do have a lovely voice, the witch said as she tested out her most recent trade. What was once broken shells rattling against jagged rocks was now replaced with hushed tidal waves.

The little mermaid tried to dodge any feelings of regret and headed towards the exit of the nest without turning back, the vile tucked into a tight fist.

By the time Kairi made her way towards the shore, the black sky started turning a deep blue. There was a line of light peeking from the edge of the ocean. As she dragged herself out of the water and settled herself between a pair of gigantic rocks, a flood of worries overwhelmed her. She hadn't considered her home, her sisters, her father, her _life. _What if she couldn't find the human at all? Was it really possible to make someone, human or fish, fall in love within three days?

Then she thought about how _she _had fallen in love with the human after one glance. Maybe it wasn't so impossible.

Kairi shook her thoughts away and pulled off the cork from the vile. The blue substance inside reflected her worried, silent face.

Without taking another breath, she swallowed the potion in one gulp.

At first, Kairi only felt a slightly tingling sensation as the potion slid down her throat. Then without warning, she was hit by an excruciating pain.

Each of her shining scales cracked and peeled off of her tail. She started growing bones where she never had bones before and flesh crawled over them, covering those bones. It was a painful process—so painful that Kairi lost consciousness within a few minutes.

o**O**o

"Miss? Hello?"

Kairi felt heavy, crushed, and breathing was never so difficult. The soft sand beneath her seemed to press against her so hard that it made her head spin.

Someone grabbed her shoulder and then roll her onto her back. Her new lungs were able to function properly for the first time she had them.

Kairi stirred awake, responding to the distant voice.

But the owner of the voice wasn't distant at all.

"Thank goodness, you're alive. Do you think you can get up?"

It was a male human dressed in the strangest things Kairi had ever seen. But at the moment, she was too nauseas to laugh out loud, and her body felt like it was on fire.

Kairi weakly shook her head in response and shut her eyes again. She instantly reopened them as the human bent down and propped her up.

It was around noon. The tide was out and several seagulls nearby were poking into the wet sand with their beaks.

Kairi glanced at the human next to her. He looked flustered for some odd reason and wiped his forehead with the back of his hands. Then he took off the strange, colorful thing he was wearing and draped it over where Kairi's tail was supposed to be.

And then everything cleared.

The little mermaid's eyes dilated three times their usual size as she threw off the piece of cloth and looked at her legs for the first time.

Instead of a blue, powerful tail, she now had a pair of thin, weak legs—human legs. Despite the agony she just experienced a few hours before, she was smiling from ear to ear as the human beside her only grew a deeper shade of crimson.

He coughed nervously.

"Miss, should I go get you a towel?"

Kairi looked over. She had forgotten about him. She wasn't sure why he was trying so hard to cover her beautiful legs.

She ignored his question and instead, proceeded to stand up. At least, attempted to.

For seventeen years, the ocean had carried Kairi wherever she went. All she had to do was use her tail to maneuver. On land, her legs were the only support she had.

Therefore, she immediately fell before she was able to plant both feet to the ground.

"I think you're too weak to walk," the human said.

Kairi tried again, and this time managed to stand up straight, despite swaying forward and backwards for a while. She clapped her hands and shouted in delight.

But the excited scream never left her lips.

Pieces of the night before came to Kairi one by one, and each scene made her smile drop lower and lower until tears brimmed the edge of her eyes. She quickly wiped them away before they splashed onto the floor. She couldn't cry, not when had only three days to find the Human. She wasn't going to regret her decision.

"Miss, may I help you?" asked a soft voice.

Kairi fully faced the human for the first time and slightly nodded. She allowed him to cover her naked body with his ridiculous coat and escort her to the building looming over the forest by the sea.

o**O**o

* * *

Author's Notes:

The sea witch doesn't have a name, but I imagined her as Namine while writing this.

Also, for those who couldn't understand my vague writing, the sea witch basically trades young mermaids' beauty in exchange for whatever they want. But she makes the conditions near to impossible so that she can keep their beauty/youth forever. Logically, it would be impossible for a mute foreigner to find someone they only saw once within three days and make him fall in love with her.

But that's what makes fiction that much better.

Who's the human that saves Kairi? Hmm


	4. Chapter 4

o**O**o

**The L i t t l e Mermaid**

**written by oathk33p3r**

o**O**o

**Disclaimer:** I own neither _The Little Mermaid _nor _Kingdom Hearts._ However, there will be several moments in this parody that are completely original.

* * *

o FOUR o

* * *

"**D**o not worry, miss. It will not take long to reach the castle."

The human tightened his grip around Kairi's waist and arm as he patiently waited for her to take the next step. Her forehead was beaded with sweat, and her breaths heavy. Walking was still brand new to her, and bringing one foot in front of the other seemed to involve so much focus, so much energy—energy she didn't have. She never experienced perspiration either, for she never had the need to. Despite her struggle, she was highly amused by the droplets forming on her forehead as she wiped them away.

She never felt this hot and sticky in her life. The human's coat clung onto her naked skin and made walking more difficult than it already was. Eventually, she let out an exasperated sigh and peeled it off of her.

The human's eyes widened in utter shock and he quickly turned away, blushing furiously. He cleared his throat a few times and then stammered: "Miss, p-please cover yourself."

Kairi turned towards the human in annoyed confusion. Why was he so desperate to cover her up? She looked down to make sure her breasts were still covered, for having them exposed would be extremely embarrassing.

It was until then she realized why he was so flustered.

Humans usually covered up whatever was below their navel and above their knees. Having a tail her entire life, Kairi wasn't aware of this.

Suddenly, Kairi's face turned crimson as well as she bent down to grab the human's coat and clumsily wrapped it around her waist.

The human looked relieved as he reached out to steady Kairi onto her feet again, but she swatted his hand away.

"I can do this by myself," Kairi snapped.

But the human never heard her, and neither did she.

Nothing but air rushed out of her throat as she tried to form another sentence. Kairi tenderly touched her neck with her fingertips. A sudden wave of images from the night before drowned her thoughts. The pain, the agony, the sacrifice.

"What is the matter, miss?"

The human pulled her out of her thoughts.

"Would you like to rest for a while?" he asked when Kairi did not reply.

Kairi looked down at her dirt-caked bare feet. Her thighs and calves were burning, and her throat was parched. Yes, she would like to rest for a while.

Kairi slowly nodded.

The human smiled kindly and led her to the side of the dirt road and sat her down under a tree. The moist grass carpet felt soothing, and the tree provided a nice shade.

"The castle is only about half a mile away now. Once we catch our breath, we'll reach it in less than half an hour."

Kairi nodded and tightened the coat around her. She took in her surroundings. Earlier, she was too concentrated on her walking to notice the trees and flowers. Unlike the overpowering blue of the ocean, land seemed to be dominated by greens and fluorescent accents. Kairi used to think land was just like the shore; filled with soft, brown sand and speckled with shells. But there was so much more.

"How are you feeling?" the human asked. "It seemed as though you nearly drowned back there at the beach."

Kairi was fingering the grass growing by her feet. She blinked at the human's question and then tore out a handful of grass from their roots.

How was she feeling? Overwhelmed. Exhausted. Confused. Overjoyed.

"Miss?"

Kairi turned to the human and furrowed her brows. She tried mouthing a few words, then gave up. Finally, she opened and closed her mouth as though she was talking, and then shook her head.

"You cannot speak?"

Kairi nodded.

"Well, that's mighty unfortunate. I suppose I won't know where you're from, or learn your name."

The human gave a sad smile and Kairi slightly shrugged her shoulders in response as if saying "I guess so."

"You won't mind if I continue calling you Miss then, do you Miss?"

Kairi shrugged again, and then smiled politely.

"Well then Miss, shall we continue?"

The human got up to his booted feet and helped Kairi get onto her bare ones.

The human's palace was not as colossal as Kairi's, but it was just as grand, perhaps even more. Careful designs covered the arch entrance like vines and delicate statues stood proudly on either side. Two stern-faced males opened the large gate, and another two opened the heavy doors.

As soon as the two entered, an older female dressed in frills and laces with an enormous bosom bobbed towards them.

"Oh, you are finally here, sir! Your brother has been looking all over town for you!" she exclaimed. Then she spotted the girl clad in her clamshell-bra.

"And who is this lovely lady?" she asked. There was an unsettling hint of sarcasm.

"I found her by the beach, Nana. She cannot speak, and she can barely walk. Will you please treat her?"

The lady's suspicious instantly lifted and her voice was suddenly oozing with maternal concern.

"Oh dear! You poor, poor thing. Let's get you washed up. Come on, come on."

After being carried up a flight of stairs by two servants and then completely stripped by a few maids, Kairi found herself back in water. Only this water was different. It was softer, cleaner, and filled with millions and millions of white bubbles that reminded her of sea foam.

By now, most of Kairi's earlier dizziness was gone, and her violet eyes were wide with curiosity as she experienced something new nearly every minute.

Kairi cupped her hands and scooped up a handful of soap and water. She stuck out her tongue and ran the tip of it over the bubbles. She immediately spat and emptied out her hands. The bubbles tasted strong and unpleasant. Her plans of putting her head underwater vanished.

She continued admiring the strange water and her legs until the busty female rushed in.

"Oh, you still haven't washed your hair," she said.

Kairi gasped as the human started rubbing her hair and scrubbing her body with a sponge.

"A pretty lady like yourself should be nice and clean," she muttered as she dumped a bucketful of water over Kairi's head.

After being dried with a fluffy towel, Kairi found herself sitting in front of an exact replica of herself. Her damp auburn hair looked almost dark brown and fell past her shoulders like seaweed.

The next few moments overwhelmed her senses with feelings and textures she never experienced before. She was forced into a silky gown that slid right over her body when she put it on. Though she felt trapped, she felt secure at the same time. Kairi never felt so human in her life.

"And finally, here are your shoes, miss."

Kairi tore her eyes away from the mirror and looked down at the pair of slippers before her. She gingerly slid her bare feet into each one and then took a few steps forward. The room echoed every time the heels hit the tiled floors.

She was then led to the dining hall, where the human who helped her to the castle was waiting. He smiled widely and walked over to her.

"I never got to properly introduce myself. My name is Roxas, and I am the younger prince," he said warmly.

He took one of Kairi's milky hands and bent down to softly kiss it.

Kairi smiled politely in return.

"Let me show you to your seat," Roxas offered.

He stuck out his arm and waited for her to grab a hold of it. Not knowing this, Kairi merely stood and stared.

Then out of nowhere, another arm latched onto it instead.

"If you don't grab a hold of him, someone else might steal him away, miss."

Kairi gasped. It was _the _human. The face she was only able to see through photos in her memory was standing right in front of her. Seeing him move, smile, and _alive _took her breath away.

Roxas laughed and pulled his arm away.

"Sora! Where have you been? We have a lovely guest here with us, and you've been out all morning!"

"Only because I was looking for you!"

"You're only using that as an excuse. You were probably chasing some ladies all over town."

The human, no, _Sora_ laughed good-heartedly and scratched his head sheepishly. He then faced Kairi with an apologetic look in his face.

Eye contact.

She had spent hours daydreaming about how it would've been if she had seen him open his eyes that day she saved him. She wondered what color his eyes were, what he would've said, how things would've turned out to be. Now she knew that his eyes were blue—blue like the water she once breathed and lived in.

"My apologies. I would've returned much earlier if I had known. I'm Sora. What is your name?"

His voice made her heart throb to the point of pain. She wanted to reply, or at least tell him her name so he can say it over and over for her.

"Miss can't use her voice, Sora."

Sora's face fell and an apologetic look cast over him once more.

"I'm sorry," Sora said.

Kairi shook her head. She didn't want him to be sorry. But she wanted him to know her story, know why she was there, standing before him.

None of the three noticed the girl who had walked in until she let out a small cough.

Sora whipped his head around and beamed. Roxas and Kairi looked at the incomer curiously.

"Olette!" Sora shouted. He pulled the girl into a warm embrace and then turned towards the onlookers, his arm still around her shoulders.

"This is Olette, the lovely maiden who saved my life."


	5. Chapter 5

o**O**o

**The Little Mermaid**

**written by oathk33p3r**

o**O**o

* * *

o FIVE o

* * *

"**T**his is Olette, the lovely maiden who saved my life."

She had hair that resembled the color of damp earth, and it cascaded past her bare shoulders and cast shadows against the white of her skin. Her bright eyes shined emerald under the afternoon rays pouring through the glass ceilings, lighting up her entire pristine face. Her chin, wrists, and neck were slender, delicate, feminine.

Her pink lips gently curled upwards in a sincere smile. Of course she would be smiling, Kairi thought. Sora had his arms protectively around her shoulders. Kairi had given up her voice, her life, to be in her place.

"Nice to meet you, my name is Olette," said the girl.

Despite Olette's delicate features marking a rare sort of beauty, Kairi envied her voice the most. Each word shyly and softly tumbled past her lips, but each word was loud enough to be heard and to be understood.

Kairi acknowledged Olette's greeting with a slight nod of her head.

Sora and Olette exchanged uneasy glances, which Roxas immediately caught.

"Our guest here cannot speak," he explained. "But I am sure that won't stop us from merrymaking and storytelling tonight," he said brightly. He pulled out a chair that was apparently meant for Kairi. "Please, take a seat," he offered kindly.

Kairi could not resist the welcoming gesture and silently sat down. Roxas went back to his place at the table, which was to the right of Sora and across from Kairi.

Roxas must have noticed the heavy atmosphere, because he brightly said "Let's start with some wine!"

A servant immediately appeared by the side of the table and poured four glasses of dark liquid. Kairi gingerly held her glass and sniffed what they called 'wine.'

The sweet aroma filled her nostrils, which sharply contrasted to the salty scents she was accustomed to. She intently followed Roxas's every move—to properly holding the glass to raising it in the air. Despite the tragedy of losing her voice, she was glad she had an excuse for not shouting "Cheers!" It seemed silly, but also seemed like a major part of this "wine" culture. Kairi soaked her tongue with a bit of the wine and immediately regretted it. She hated the taste, and it burned her throat.

"Would you like to hear the story?" Sora asked politely.

He was referring to the story of how the "lovely maiden" saved his life.

"I saved you, it was me," Kairi wanted to say. But instead, she gave a small smile and nodded.

Sora grinned and gave a loving glance at Olette before beginning.

"A few nights ago, _Highwind _tragically sunk. Oh, it was terrible. Half the ship was ablaze, and the other half was underwater. Men drowned, burned to death, and dived overboard. Miraculously, I grabbed hold of a bit of driftwood big enough to lie on. I must've blacked out, because the next time I opened my eyes, the sun was high up in the sky. I don' t know how I possibly floated to shore."

"Seagulls and sharks perhaps?" Roxas said jokingly. "Or possibly a mermaid?"

Olette giggled at Roxas's remarks.

Sora shook his head, but wore a good-natured smile.

"Yes, I'm sure it was the latter. Why, she's sitting across from us now! The finest one I have ever seen."

Kairi's heart skipped a beat and she stared at Sora with wide eyes.

But Sora had his attention focused on the girl sitting next to her.

"Oh, Sora. I can barely even swim."

Sora reached out and took a hold of one of Olette's hands.

"But you can definitely save a poor sailor's dear life."

Though Kairi knew it was impossible for Sora to know, she could not help but feel disappointed. She took another daring sip of wine. She wasn't sure of it, but it seemed to ease her tension a little bit.

Sora continued on with the story.

"I don't know how long I was out there, lying under the scorching sun. My vision was blurred and my tongue felt like sandpaper. I tried crying out for help, but I could not find an ounce of energy in me. Even though my body was on land, my soul felt like it was heading towards the heavens. I knew I was reaching my end. During what felt like hours, I thought about many things. About our kingdom, the ocean, my crew…but the most prominent thought was that of my poor mother. Her dying wish was for me to get married to the fairest maiden in the kingdom.

And just as I was about to close my eyes for the last time, the softest voice woke me up."

Sora turned to Olette and asked "Can you tell everyone what you said?"

Olette shyly looked down at her lap and then up again. Kairi took another sip of wine.

"I was out by the shore with my sister looking for sea shells. I saw Prince Sora unconscious, lying on the driftwood he described. This being the first time I've ever seen an unconscious man, my first instinct was to wake him up. And so I rushed over, grabbed his shoulders, and shouted "Wake up, please!"

Roxas roared with laughter as Sora chuckled.

"Softest voice, you say?" Roxas teased.

Kairi refrained from heaving an impatient sigh. She decided to take a swig of wine to hide her frustration.

"Prince Roxas, you must understand that Prince Sora was not in his best mental state at the time."

"Miss Olette, you're quite the polite person! "Wake up, please,"" Roxas echoed Olette's words and cracked up once more.

The exchange of conversation and gazes, the laughter and drinking of wine…everything started blurring and meshing into one solid irritating sound that was sending Kairi to her edge. She didn't belong in this conversation. She didn't know the ways of humans. She didn't like the story. She couldn't laugh—not because she didn't have her voice, but more importantly, because she could not tell her side of the story.

Kairi lifted the glass to her lips again, but she was out of wine.

"…And my fool of a brother fell in love with you, I see. But how did you…"

Roxas's voice waltzed in and out of Kairi's focus. The servant must have noticed Kairi's empty glass, because he was filling it up again. Kairi nodded in thanks and tilted her head back as she poured all of its contents down her throat.

The wine tasted sweet in her mouth and warm in her body. Her face was radiating like the sun, and she felt good for the first time since she lost her voice.

Smiling, Kairi placed her head down on the cool surface of the table and thought of the day she saved Sora.

"…what were you doing…there…the first place? Was she…That's strange…Wow!"

She had replayed that day over and over in her head hundreds of times. It was the first time in her life she had saved anything or anyone. It was the first time she accomplished something none of her older sisters had. It was the first time she fell in love without exchanging a single glance or word. Sora's existence provided Kairi with so much in a single day. He was so dear, so precious, to Kairi. All she wanted was for him to feel the same. All she needed was a little kiss...

"Miss? Miss!"

Kairi flipped open her eyes and lifted her head, but a bit too fast. The room was spinning in circles and didn't bother slowing down to a stop until Roxas grabbed her shoulders.

"Are you all right?"

She pushed Roxas away and stumbled up from her chair. She felt like she just got her legs again as she wobbled towards the nearest hallway towards the stairs leading to the nice tub of water she took a bath in earlier that day…

o**O**o

"I hope this is comfortable enough for you."

Kairi turned around to be met by Riku. He was leaning against the angular entrance of her grotto with his arms crossed over his chest. His strong tail waved back and forth, the tip of his fin brushing against the clean floor. She blinked and he was now hovering over her. He reached out and started tugging on her garments.

"I'm sorry, Miss, but let me take this off for you. You'll feel much better…"

Kairi's heart started to race and panic took over her. How did he find her here? Kairi tried giving him a taste of her power once more. Though weak legs had replaced her strong tail, Riku stumbled backwards with a look a fright.

"Miss, please, wake up! It's okay!"

Kairi opened her eyes and immediately sat upright.

She was lying on top of a soft, but sturdy, rectangular bed that reminded her of the seabed she slept on back at home.

A few yards away, Olette was nervously peering back. She was clutching at her stomach and slightly wincing as though in pain.

"I'm sorry," Olette started, "I was helping you get changed into your night clothes. I should've waited for you to wake up…"

Kairi felt terrible. She must've unconsciously kicked Olette.

The two girls silently looked at each other for a while. Finally, Olette slowly walked over and placed the nightgown on the foot of Kairi's bed.

"Here, change into this. I brought you some water, so please make sure to drink a few glasses before going to sleep."

Kairi slightly nodded.

"I'll tell Prince Sora and Prince Roxas that you have awakened. They were quite worried about you."

Olette straightened out her dress and then slightly bowed.

"Good night. Please do not hesitate to call for help if you need it. I'm currently staying in the guest bedroom right next door."

She turned around to leave. Without even realizing it, Kairi reached out and slightly touched Olette's wrist.

Olette turned around, slightly surprised.

"Thank you," Kairi mouthed.

The beautiful girl smiled, replied with a "my pleasure", and left the room.

Kairi reached over for the glass of water placed next to her and slowly sipped the tasteless liquid. She allowed it to form a small pool in her tongue and soak up the bitterness from the wine. She concluded that the wine had some sort of powerful effect on her. The humans seemed unaffected…

There was a brief knock on the door shortly after Kairi put down her glass. She wondered if Olette forgot something as she walked over to open it.

"Miss!"

It was Roxas. His eyes were filled with concern and he was slightly panting as though he ran down flights of stairs.

"Are you feeling all right?" he asked.

Kairi nodded. She was feeling all right, more or less. The room wasn't spinning anymore and the glow had left her face.

"I want to give you my sincerest apologies. This condition you're in…it was my fault. I was not aware of your low tolerance when it comes to alcoholic imbibing…And I was a fool for not noticing your state until it was too late."

Kairi was not aware that such a cheerful person could appear so ashamed. An overwhelming wave of pity washed over her as she realized that she never even properly thanked this kind person for helping her. Come to think of it, he was the first human she had ever properly interacted with.

"I want to give you this," Roxas said. He produced a small bell from his waist pocket. "If you ever need help, just ring it, and I'll be there for you. It's the least I could do."

Roxas stepped away from the door.

"Good night, Miss. To make up for tonight, I would be honored to give you a grand tour of our kingdom. Would that be all right?"

Kairi hesitated. She only had two days left for her true love's kiss. She didn't have time for such play, but a few hours shouldn't hurt…

Roxas waited patiently.

Kairi returned Roxas's awaiting gaze with a smile and a nod. Roxas beamed.

"I'll meet you by the front gate at noon. Sleep well."


End file.
